Disclosure
by Xtremeroswellian
Summary: Faith tells Bosco the truth. Alternate ending to "The Relay."
1. Default Chapter

Title: Disclosure (1/2)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, they're not really mine. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. I'll return them...well, someday. Maybe. :)

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Up through and including "The Relay." 

Summary: Faith tells Bosco the truth.

Distribution: If you want it, take it, just let me know.

Category: Alternate-ending to "The Relay." 

Subcategories: Bosco/Faith friendship, angst

Feedback: I love it and thrive on it. 

Author's Note: I've had this idea spinning in my head for literally weeks now, and after watching "The Relay" about thirty times more than what my parents consider normal, I decided to write it. :)

* * *

Disclosure (Part One: Bosco)

"Hey, hey, hey, hey. Where you going?" Bosco asked, surprised that she was just going to walk by him, out of the bar, without so much as saying goodnight. 

"I wanna get home," Faith answered, more than a small hint of weariness to her voice as she looked back at him.

He frowned. He wasn't sure how he knew it, but something was wrong. "You all right?" he asked concerned. 

"Yeah." 

He didn't believe her, not for one minute. "You sure?" 

Faith nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm good."

Bosco looked at her, saw her gaze drop to the floor, saw her lower lip quiver. "Faith." 

She glanced at him and he saw that she was fighting to hold back tears. Immediately his stomach tightened. He set his drink down on the table and gently took her by the arm. "Let's get out of here," he muttered, pulling her toward the door. 

"What's up with them?" Davis asked, sipping his drink.

"Who knows?" Sully answered, shaking his head. 

* * *

They walked down the sidewalk in silence. As the minutes went by, Bosco convinced himself that his partner was just upset about the day's events. The whole thing had really gotten to her, even if she didn't want to admit it. 

He didn't understand it himself. It wasn't like they hadn't seen people commit suicide right in front of their eyes before. Why did *this* case bother her so much? 

"I need to sit down," Faith said quietly. 

"Okay." He followed her over to a wooden bench and sat down beside her. He may not have understood why this had such an affect on her, but she was his partner and he didn't want to send her home while she was this upset. 

He glanced over at her. She was sitting on the edge of the bench, staring down at the ground. He felt like he should say something, but since everything he'd said all day just seemed to have pissed her off, he decided it was just best if he kept his mouth shut. 

He moved to the edge of the bench, looked down at the sidewalk. His arms rested on his knees, his hands folded together. And he waited. 

It was a chilly night and he felt Faith shiver beside him. He ventured a glance at her. 

A teardrop was rolling down her cheek.

Oh, fuck. What do I do? he wondered, feeling nervous. He couldn't remember seeing Faith Yokas cry before--ever. And they'd been partners for almost eight years. Surely this one case hadn't upset her this much. 

No, something else is wrong, he realized as she made no move to wipe away the tear. 

Did Fred fall off the wagon? he wondered. Maybe one of the kids is sick?

Bosco hesitantly reached over and rested one hand on her back. "Faith?" 

"Bosco, I lied to you. I'm not going to the shore next week." 

He frowned. "So where are you going?" 

"I'm scheduled for surgery." 

"What? Surgery? Why?" he asked, confused. 

She didn't look at him. "I have cancer." 

He stared at her, stunned by her words. "What?" 

"They found a tumor in my breast. The doctors did a biopsy. It uh...it wasn't encouraging." 

Bosco swallowed hard, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He didn't want to believe her. This was *Faith*. Faith *Yokas*. His partner. Probably--no--undoubtedly--the best friend he'd ever had. Faith didn't get sick. Not seriously sick anyway. She couldn't. He needed her. 

"Say something," she said softly.

"You're gonna be okay, right?" 

She looked over at him. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, the fear that was there, that had been there all day. Why the hell hadn't he realized it before now? He swallowed hard, feeling more than a bit scared himself. "My doctor thinks the surgery should take care of it. But...there aren't any guarantees." 

They stared at each other for a long moment in silence. 

Wordlessly, Bosco moved and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He felt her take a shuddering breath against him and he buried his face in her hair. "I'm gonna be there. At the hospital," he whispered. 

"I'd like that," she whispered back. Her voice was thick with tears.

He held Faith a little tighter, swallowing hard and closing his eyes to keep himself from crying, as well. He felt her arms wind around him as she cried into his shoulder. He rubbed her back gently, wishing he could say something, anything, that would make them both feel better. He wished more than anything he could tell her--and himself--truthfully that everything was going to be all right. But he didn't know that for sure, and he couldn't bring himself to say the words. 

So Bosco just held her. Held her and prayed to God that she would get better. 


	2. Part 2

Title: Disclosure (2/2)

Author: X_tremeroswellian

Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, they're not really mine. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. I'll return them...well, someday. Maybe. :)

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: Up through and including "The Relay." 

Summary: Faith tells Bosco the truth.

Distribution: If you want it, take it, just let me know.

Category: Alternate-ending to "The Relay." 

Subcategories: Bosco/Faith friendship, angst

Feedback: I love it and thrive on it. 

Author's Note: I've had this idea spinning in my head for literally weeks now, and after watching "The Relay" about thirty times more than what my parents consider normal, I decided to write it. :)

* * *

Disclosure (Part Two: Faith)

After watching the news report and hearing that Cassandra Reynolds was doing fine with her new heart, Faith stood up and slid the strap of her purse onto her shoulder, hefting her bag in her other hand. She slid through the crowd quietly, not wanting to interrupt anyone's celebration. 

"Hey, hey, hey, hey. Where you going?" 

She turned to see Bosco standing there, a surprised look on his face as he looked at her. "I wanna get home," she answered tiredly.

He frowned. "You all right?" She could hear the tone of his voice change to one of concern, could see the worry in his eyes. Bosco may have been acting like a jerk most of the day, but when it came down to it, he knew her pretty well and knew when something was bothering her. 

She forced a smile, trying to pretend. "Yeah." 

"You sure?" There was more than a little hint of doubt in his voice now.

She tried once more anyway. "Yeah, I'm good." God, she didn't even sound convincing to her own ears. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she bit her tongue, trying not to cry.

"Faith." 

She lifted her eyes to meet his, her own full of unshed tears. 

Bosco immediately set his drink down on the nearest table and gently wrapped his hand around her arm. "Let's get out of here," he suggested, leading her toward the door. 

Without protesting, she followed him, resolve setting in. It was time to tell him the truth.

* * *

As they walked next to each other on the sidewalk in silence, Faith tried to think of what she was going to say. They'd been partners for so long...but more than that, they were friends. 

She knew she was the only one Bosco could work with. They were opposites, but that's why they made such a good team. They balanced each other. What if she died? Would Bosco be able to work with someone else? Or would his new partner let him get himself killed?

"I need to sit down," she said quietly.

"Okay." 

She sat down on the edge of a wooden bench in the middle of the sidewalk. She stared down at the concrete as he sat down next to her. Her mind was whirling with thoughts. Thoughts about her children, about Fred, about Bosco.

Fred was not dealing with this well. He didn't even want to talk about the possibilities of what would happen if her surgery wasn't successful. But she had to. She had to try and get everything in order, just in case. 

And telling Bosco...

She shuddered lightly, feeling sick. She was startled to realize that a single tear had escaped and was rolling slowly down her cheek. 

Faith could feel his eyes on her and she could only imagine what was going on his mind at that moment. 

She felt his hand rest on her back.

"Faith?" 

She swallowed hard. This is it. "Bosco, I lied to you. I'm not going to the shore next week." She continued to stare at the ground.

"So where are you going?" She was relieved to hear there was no anger in his tone, just curiosity mixed with a bit of concern.

"I'm scheduled for surgery," she admitted, already knowing what his next question was going to be. 

Sure enough, the next words out of Bosco's mouth were: "What? Surgery? Why?" There was no mistaking the confusion in his voice.

Faith couldn't bring herself to look at him. "I have cancer." 

There was a moment of silence, followed by Bosco's stunned, "What?" 

She fought to keep her voice calm. "They found a tumor in my breast. The doctors did a biopsy. It uh...it wasn't encouraging." 

There was a long pause of absolute silence. She shifted slightly, afraid he was going to be angry with her for not telling him sooner. "Say something," she pleaded softly.

"You're gonna be okay, right?" 

Hearing the catch in his voice, Faith turned her head to look at him, wishing she could say yes. "My doctor thinks the surgery should take care of it. But...there are no guarantees." 

He stared back at her and she could see the fear in his eyes. The same fear she saw in Fred's eyes every time she'd looked at him in the past few weeks. The same fear that she knew with absolute certainty Bosco was seeing reflected back upon him through her own eyes at that very moment. 

Without another word, Bosco shifted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. The gesture both caught her off guard and touched her deeply. She took in a deep, shaky breath as he buried his face in her hair. 

"I'm gonna be there. At the hospital," he whispered fiercely.

More tears stung her eyes and a wave of relief washed over her. For some reason, knowing that he would be there made her feel a little better. "I'd like that," she whispered back.

His arms tightened around her and she wound her own arms around his waist. She pressed her face against his shoulder and began to cry. She felt his hands rubbing her back, trying his best to comfort her. She knew he wouldn't lie and tell her that everything was going to be okay. It wasn't who he was. And for that, she was grateful. She could be honest with herself for once without feeling guilty about it. 

Faith squeezed her eyes shut. Don't let me go, she thought. I don't want to die. 


End file.
